Yoon Sukyeol Absent from 'Insurrection Ringleader' Trial for Seventh Consecutive Time: "Impossible to Bring from Detention Center"

Court Proceeds with Trial in Absentia Without Yoon
Seventh Consecutive Absence as Former President Maintains Boycott Strategy
Witnesses Scheduled to Testify Despite Defendant's Nonappearance

Former President Yoon Sukyeol was absent from his insurrection ringleader trial for the seventh consecutive time on September 1. Since his re-arrest in July, former President Yoon has maintained a strategy of refusing to attend the trial, and the court has decided to proceed with the trial in absentia.

Former President Yoon Sukyeol is coming out after the warrant hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on July 9, 2025. Photo by Joint Press Corps

The Criminal Agreement Division 25 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Ji Guyoun) held a trial at 10:15 a.m. on this day for former President Yoon, who is facing charges including being the ringleader of an insurrection.

The court stated, "The defendant has voluntarily failed to appear again today. At the previous hearing, the prison warden responded that it is impossible to bring him by force, and as there has been no change in this situation, today's session will also proceed in his absence."

According to the Criminal Procedure Act, if a detained defendant refuses to appear without just cause and it is impossible or significantly difficult for correctional officers to bring the defendant to the hearing, the trial may proceed without the defendant's presence. During the trial of former President Park Geunhye's government corruption case, the proceedings were also held in absentia, attended only by her legal counsel and the special prosecutor, due to her absence.

Former President Yoon had attended all hearings up to the ninth session, but since his detention on July 10, he has cited health reasons for his absence. For the previous three hearings, the court conducted witness examinations as "evidence investigation outside of the scheduled date," but announced on August 11 that the trial would proceed in absentia if the defendant did not appear. In such cases, the defendant must bear the risk of potential disadvantages in the trial, such as agreeing to the evidence investigation results.

At today's trial, witnesses including Colonel Park Taejoo, head of the Information Protection Unit at the Defense Counterintelligence Command, are scheduled to testify.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.